Marie-Louise Carven
| Madame Carven | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Carmen de Tommaso 31 August 1909 Châtellerault, France |
| Died | 8 June 2015 (aged 105) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Awards |
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1978) Legion of Honour (2009)[2] |
| Labels | Carven |
Marie-Louise Carven (31 August 1909 – 8 June 2015) was a French fashion designer who founded the house of Carven in 1945.[3] She was noted for her designs for petite women, her use of lightweight fabrics such as lace and pink gingham, and for being one of the first couturieres to launch a prêt-à-porter line.[4] She was the first Paris designer to patent a push-up bra.[4]
Early life
Marie-Louise Carven was born Carmen de Tommaso on 31 August 1909 in Châtellerault, France.[5] However, she strongly disliked her given name, and when she founded her business, she assumed the name by which she is better known.[1] Carven showed an interest in fashion design from a young age by making outfits for her pet cat.[5]
As a young woman, Carven studied architecture and interior decor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.[5]
Career
In 1945, at the age of 34, Carven opened her fashion house on the Champs-Élysées.[6] The name Carven combined Carmen, her given name, with the last name of her aunt Josy Boyriven, who introduced her to couture.[7] The 5'1" Carven focused her line on petite women, "because [she] was too short to wear the creations of the top couturiers, who only ever showed their designs on towering girls."[4]
Carven soon became known as “the smallest of big couturiers.”[4] The signature piece from her first collection was a full skirted, green and white striped summer dress.[5] Green and white stripes became the signature of the House of Carven.[7] The material had found in the attic of a chateau and was likely originally purchased for the summer uniforms of housemaids prior to World War I.[5] Her early clients included Leslie Caron, Martine Carol, Zizi Jeanmaire, and Edith Pilaf.[5]
Carven was an inventive marketer. In 1946, she publicized the launch of her first perfume by parachuting hundreds of sample bottles across Paris.[5] In 1950, Carven created a collection inspired by Gone with the Wind to coincide with the film's French release.[4] She toured France with the collection, staging fashion shows at movie theaters.[7]
In 1950, she became one of the first couturiers to develop prêt-à-porter.[3] Her preference for simple materials such as pink gingham and broderie anglaise eased her transition to ready-to-wear.[5]
Carven was one of the first fashion houses to stage runway shows around the world.[4] The designer's travel inspired her to use diverse materials such as madras, batik, and raffia in her collections.[7] In the 1950s, Carven was one of the first Western designers to use African textiles.[8]
Carven designed uniforms for the 1976 French Olympic team, Parisian traffic wardens, Eurostar staff,[5] and over 20 airlines.[7] Carven is also credited as the costume designer for eleven films.[9]
Later life
Carven retired at age 84.[10]
In August 2000, Carven was named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem.[11]
In 2001, she gifted her archives to the Musée Galliera.[7]
At her hundredth birthday party in 2009, she was made a commander of the Legion of Honor.[10]
Carven died in Paris on 8 June 2015, aged 105.[12]
References
- 1 2 Horwell, Veronica (14 June 2015). "Madame Carven obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ↑ Diderich, Joelle (8 June 2015). "Madame Carven Dies at 105". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- 1 2 Friedman, Vanessa (9 June 2015). "Remembering Marie-Louise Carven, a Creator of 'Contemporary' Fashion". New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Staff writer (14 June 2015). "Marie-Louise Carven, fashion supremo - obituary". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Horwell, Veronica (2015-06-14). "Madame Carven obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- ↑ "France's fashion designer for petite women dies aged 105". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Diderich, Joelle (2015-06-08). "Madame Carven Dies at 105". WWD. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- ↑ Lynch, Annette; Strauss, Mitchell D. (2014-10-30). Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780759121508.
- ↑ "Carven". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- 1 2 Friedman, Vanessa (9 June 2015). "Marie-Louise Carven, Designer of Accessible Chic, Dies at 105". New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ↑ "Marie Louise Carven - The Righteous Among The Nations - Yad Vashem". www.yadvashem.org. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
- ↑ Yotka, Steff. "Remembering Madame Carven". Style.com. Condé Nast. Retrieved 15 June 2015.